I've been working on a project this week after considering it for sometime, even before I built the Telluride & Tin Cup on the patio this spring. The base/donor for this project is the G scale Bachmann Closed Streetcar (#93939) I bought back in the late 1980s. This was either the first or another early run, but look later runs over and you'll likely fiund them similar enough that a hack on them will work. You don't need to follow all the details of what I did, as wide variations in this bash are possible depending on your tastes.
The key to my conversion was rearranging the parts on one end to create a cab and lengthen the resultuing car enough so a 2-wheel pony truck and engine compartment can be added. I tried to reuse or repurpose as much of the donor car as possible. Here I have the cuts on the platform laid out, then the front pilot has been cut.
I MADE A SHORT EXTENSION TO PROVIDE all the space needed for a control cab, hood over an engine (where I hope to hide at least some of my RC components), and make room for a front truck. After I glued the frame extensions in (the gray Plastruct H-sections), I added 4 screws to stengthen everything. The pilot was then glued onto that.
Next I mocked everything up I had cut apart in my mind and it looked well. The pony truck axle comes from the Bachmann 4-6-0. Other than that, it's all part of the streetcar.
The pieces of one end bulkhead rearranged as the front of the cab.
A better pic of the frame extensions and pilot.
I added reinforcing material that doubles as the floor of the cab and engine compartment. The inner bulkheads on the streetcar serve to hold and allow the sliding doors to operate. This one becomes the back wall of the cab.
To lessen the streetcar look, I filled the lower section of the carbody, which angled and curved inward. I added small plastic ribs, then a smooth outer finish.
I next started assembling the cab, paying attention to the roofline.
Next was the hood. It's removeable, so I can maybe hide the Pololu simple motor controller or other components inside.
I added an express and baggage compartment, even though I lost half the passenger space. I could've made the vehicle longer, but that would have ruined the looks IMO.
Then it was time for paint. I like green.
With the basics together, I still have electrical work to do to get the battery/RC stuff aboard, followed by the final detailing. Then I will have another train to run opposite the big Shay on the T&T.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Nice Work.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Very impressive. Will be something very interesting to see in operation.
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
KEWL!
Mike:
That's neat! Great bashing!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Neat little project, Mike!
That must have been a fascinating era when a railroad could "kit-bash" their own rolling stock as needed! Whatever the Master Mechanic could find in the scrap yard was fair-game...
Fun Stuff! Thanks for Sharing...
Ed
Mike..... That looks like a very fun project. Nice work !
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Very nice work Mike..
Superb ---- indeed.
Johnboy out...........
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
Great-looking kitbash, Mike!
Wayne
Thanks for all the kind comments, everyone!
Ed,
Those pics capture what I was angling for, without getting too uptight about the details...
I like hacking and needed another train, so it was a feel-good project, more or less. The entire T&T is composed of what I had on hand, plus a couple of hundred bucks for about 10 feet of new track and the RC gear needed to convert the Shay to deadrail. It's relaxing to get away from HO/HOn3 for awhile, but I'm looking forward to some new projects there that will be somewhat more prototypical
Meanwhile, I'm working on reengineereing the geometry on that lead truck for the railcar...
The T&T Publicity Dept. provided this faked-up pic of what the railcar would lokk like, if only it was already powered...
I like it!
A minor point of criticism - that single axle support under the motor compartment looks a little forlorn - how about a simple truck?
Ulrich,
Except for the very last photo above, where the wheelset's on the track outside, it was indeed very forlorn - It wasn't even attached!
The original truck rigging in the last picture (using a nice solid pivot point formerly used by the coupler mount) proved geometrically unworkable, so a second version with a longer truck "tongue" (that's what my grampa would probably call it, not sure it's the right term} was attempted with slighly better results. The GM is jumping-up-and-down mad at the engineers (the ciphering, pencil pushing type) and demanding an immediate 3rd redesign ASAP - or heads will roll!
That's why I was warning everyone about the machinations of the T&T Publicity Dept. and those wily railcar salesmen The poor thing is really not yet in running condition and the General Manager has chewed anatomy in the Pub. Dept, too - a task made that much more difficult because the Dept. Director is his nephew - about getting the public's hopes up about improved transportation infrastructure.
In an obvious attempt to distract questions about how soon and how much, the GM announced a contest to name the _potential_ new railcar in the spirit of its broken-down predecessor, Casey Jones, a hand-me-down from the Silverton Northern. Suggestions may be submitted via this column.
Mike -
mlehman Suggestions may be submitted via this column.
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Oh Bear, that's a good one. Might have to make one small change. I know there's a difference between rabbits and hares, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. But at altitude in Colorado, they're called hares, snowshoe hares to be exact.
I remember sitting in camp at Mirror Lake, the campaground closest to Tin Cup, coincidentally enough, and drinking suds with my brother one evening. As the light faded, first one, then another came hopping through our camp. Pretty soon, maybe half a dozen chasing around! Kept up for 20 minutes or so, until the light was gone, then they were gone. We just sat still and they ignored us. I suspect something to do with a mating ritual, but who knows.
So maybe The Startled Hare!?!
Mike, very nice work.
Sheldon
Great work Mike!!! Thanks for posting this!
Sheldon and Yannis,
Thanks to both of you!
I recently acquired a receiver to add RC to the Hare, controlled by a Pololu Simple Motor Controller. I also re-engineered the front truck and made some improvements in mounting the power truck. There is no sound system, those are the natural sounds of the down and dirty Bachmann streetcar drive that was the donor mechanism.
"Startled Hare" Cab Ride on the Telluride & Tin Cup MOVI0059 from Mike Lehman on Vimeo.
mlehmanThere is no sound system, those are the natural sounds of the down and dirty Bachmann streetcar drive
Who needs a sound chip and speaker when you’ve got that!!! Though I would strongly suggest that the timing and fuel pump need urgent attention!!!Smile, Wink & Grin
Passengers like the fact they get plenty of notice when it's due...and it scares the wildlife off the tracks The motor man does complain about the earplugs they make him wear, since for passengers they are only optional.
Glad you enjoyed it, Bear. It took several tries before I got good video, converted it, and uploaded it, but hoping it was worth the wait.
I have a return downgrade video I will upload once Vimeo's quota let's me. The video was taken with my new SQ11, which replaces the SQ8 I destroyed in, ummm, testing. Unfortunately close in stills are still just as lame, but the video seems improved in both 720p and 1080p. There's two more infrared LEDs (total of 6) for low light illumination, so will also try that out soon.
I will now attempt to again start a general Telluride & Tin Cup thread, which I fat-fingered into oblivion last night.
New video posted here riding the Startled Hare back down the grade...aiiieeeee?!?!!!
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/263829/2977454.aspx#2977454
Interesting Idea! I'd keep the original color scheme and possibly build another one.
One could be for hauling express packages and the other one is a passenger only version.
Two could be interesting, articulated back to back.
Bachmann did a nice job on the original paint. There's some gold pinstripping that's also very nice. Way past my limited painting skillset to try to duplicate. I was lucky to get the green on her in good order.
Nice work, and a very cool project.
Mike,
.
I like it... I like it a lot. Suddenly I think the STRATTON & GILLETTE might need a galloping goose in the fleet.
Keep the inspiration coming.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Ray Dunakin Nice work, and a very cool project.
Ray and Kevin,
Thanks for the kind comments. Just got a shuipment of various electrical do-dads and thingamabobs so I can do the lighting, Should have some new to add to this thread soon.
That railcar kinda reminds me of the Galloping Goose.
After a lot of frustration, I've concluded that the servo switches I ordered for the Startled Hare work somewhat differently than the first batch. In this case, that means they don't work with the joystick, so I was limited to two lights here. I did the head and tail lights, but then switched the latter to the cab light so the motorman, Bear "Casey" Jones, could be seen hard at work in the cab of the Hare.
Jones at least has a seat to sit on now, a nice cushy air-ride contraption, as well as some handy steps to climb in the cab door, which also has a handy handle.
There is room for an instrument panel to Jones' left, just have to make it up and drop in. At Tn Cup, the cab light helps the local gals see Jones' handsome features.
I acquired a second controller so that the Hare has its own dedicated box. With RC, thie means I can "leave the lights on." While I could run both the Shay and the Hare on the single controller, for safety reasons it requires the one unit be shut down before the other can be started. Obviously, when flying you don't want to leave anything flying around uncontrolled, so you have to either turn everything off or get a controller for anything you want to leave along the tracks with its lights on.
In other work, I did some tuning on the Hare's mechanism. I removed the plunger contacts tha pushed out against the inside of the 4 wheels. This reduced drag and friction. I also loosened up the double worm driveshaft by taking out a little of the shimming I'd added to it to reduce slop in the drivetrain. The result was a better running rail car, which still retained most of the charming noises it makes.``````````````````````````````````````````````````
I made a control cabinet/instrument panel for the Startled Hare.
Then it was installed.
Added steps and handrails to the express doors on each side.
Motorman Jones is hard at work reviewing his checklist.
Then, departure time.
A brief stop in Middleton shows only the agents gardening tools in the passenger shed.
Finally, the Hare reaches Shops, where it will tie down for the night.